Admission Policy
Policies and Procedures
1. ADMISSION
AIM
To provide an equitable basis for families to have access to child care services.
To ensure that guide-lines set down by funding bodies are adhered to at all times. To gather information on the need for children’s services in the Lake Macquarie Region
To develop open communication with parents.
1.1 Waiting List (Form 1A)
A waiting list of all interested users should be kept in the centre and updated once a year, prior to December enrolment.
The waiting list should include the following details:
a) Date of application.
b) Name of child.
c) Home address and phone number.
d) Work phone number.
e) Child’s date of birth.
f) Hours and days care is required.
g) Date care is to begin.
h) Details of priority access.
i) Parents current occupation
j) Other comments parents/guardians may wish to make.
A child’s name can be placed on the waiting list at the time of conception, or, in the case of adoption, at the time the adoption is applied for.
1.2 Priority of Access
Priority of access must be given to children in keeping with guide-lines of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services.
Priority access is as follows:
a) Priority 1: a Child at risk of serious abuse or neglect
* Children and parents can benefit from short term respite.
* Care is to be for a limited period, during which time the State Welfare Department would attempt to resolve the social or other circumstances leading to the child being at risk, and a limited period could involve a few weeks to cover a particular emergency, or a restricted number of hours of care each week.
b) Priority 2: child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work/training/study test
* Care is to be regular part-time, or full-time as circumstances require.
* Care is to be for the period of employment / training plus reasonable travel time.
* Evidence of employment / training should be sought.
c) Priority 3: any other child
* Care can be for regular short hours.
Within each category the following children are to be given priority: children in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families; children in families which include a person with a disability; children in families on low incomes; children in families with a culturally diverse background; children in socially isolated families; children of singe parents.
* The centre should satisfy themselves that the disability gives rise to a need for childcare and should ensure that the child will benefit from integration into the service.
* The period of care required is to be carefully assessed and for respite or developmental purposes should only be for that period reasonably required.
The Director (Authorised Supervisor) may have the need to overturn priority access in “special” circumstances. This can only be done in consultation with the Parent Management Committee and you local Department Of Community Services Adviser.
1.3 Procedures for Completing Enrolment
When a child moves from the waiting list to enrolment the following sequence of events must take place.
a) Parents / Guardians need to visit the centre to be given an enrolment package. This package consists of ;
Enrolment Letter ( Form 1B )
Enrolment Form ( Form 1C )
Food Restrictions Form ( Form 1D )
Annual Membership Form ( Form 1E)
Supplementary Form ( Form 1F )
Parent Information Handbook
Latest News Letter ( If Available)
At this time the parents/guardian should be given an orientation of the centre (See Orientation Check List Form). Opportunity should be given for the parent to ask questions, and parents should be asked questions about how they care for their child, what he/she is like at home, what they love about their child, what they would like their child to gain out of being in the centre.
Parents should be given the opportunity to read and discuss the centre philosophy and policies before completing the enrolment form. Parents are to sign an appropriate section on the enrolment form to indicate that they are aware of, and accept, the current centre philosophy and policy.
1.4 Enrolment Form (Form 1C)
The enrolment form should show:
a) The child’s name, address, sex and date of birth.
b) The cultural group to which the child belongs and the primary
language spoken by the child or, in the case of a child who has
not yet learned to speak, by the child’s parents.
c) The names, occupations, addresses, and home and business
telephone numbers of each of the child’s parents.
d) The name, address and home and business number of two persons who
should be contacted in an emergency if the child’s parents cannot be contacted.
e) The period for which the child is cared for in the centre.
f) The name, address and telephone number of the child’s medical
practitioner.
g) The name, address and telephone number of any person authorised to
collect the child from, or return the child to, the centre.
h) Details of home (sleeping, eating, toilet routines, cultural
beliefs, diet etc.) and parents’ expectations in regard to these details.
i) Details of any special needs - allergies, physical, food.
j) Details of knowledge of centre philosophy and policies.
k) Immunization details.
l) Details of access rights where applicable.
m) Siblings’ names and ages.
1.5 Parent Information Hand Book
Each parent must receive a Parent Information Hand Book containing information regarding the centre’s services and policies on the enrolment of their child/children.
1.6 Translating Information
It may be necessary to enlist the help of the Telephone Interpreting Service, for cases where parents who are non-English speaking inquire about, or enroll their child in, the centre.
Staff should also enlist the help of any bilingual workers or bilingual parents who may be able to help overcome any language barriers.
Version 1 1996
Version 7 2008
